Improvement in air-guns



' v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. W. M. STORM. Air-Gun. No. 210,976.

Patented D'c. 17,1878.

2 Sheets-Sheet .2.

W.. M.I STORM.

Air-Gun.

No. 210,976. l

Patented Dec.- I?, 1878'.

NA PETERS PHOTULVTKCGRPNEH, WLSHINQYON, D (ly UNITED STATES PAT FYGE.

4VILLIAlhl MONTSTORM, OF NE'V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR- TO df-*ALTER DEADY,0F SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN AIR-GUNS.

Spcciiication forming part ol Letters Patent No. 210,976, dated December17, 1878; application filed March 23, 1878.

To all! whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, WM. MoNTsTonrr, of New York, in the county and Stateot' New York, have invented a new and useful Air- Riiie, of which thefollowing is a specincation:

Figure l, Sheet l, ofthe accompanying drawin gs represents a centrallongitudinal section of the metallic hollow stock (which is to serve,

among other things, as the compressed-air reservoir) and ofthe works,7dec., of my gun. .Fi 2, same sheet, is a front-end view of the holler.7stock, into which the barrel screws at A, and the air-compressing pumpat B. Fig. 3 is a rear-end View ofthe stock. Fig. et is a centrallongitudinal section of a portion of the muzzle end of the barrel. Fig.5 is a cross-section, opposite X, Fifi'. 1, through a portion of theWorks governing the delivery of the bullets and through the ports oropenings K, through which passes the compressed air from the stoel; toproject the bullets out ofthe gun. There are two ports, K, in lieu of asingle port, equal in area to bothfor instance, so as to leave the soliddivision Z between them, to serve as a bridge for the support of thebullets in passing this point, so that they may not sag down out of theline or' the anis of the bore. These air-ports may be, together, equalin area to the cross-section of the bore; but practically this is morethan is necessary or desirable at most times, and a removable plate,with openings or ports of a modified size, may be fastened over thefixed or permanent ones'l, thus modifying the expenditure of air pershot to suit the requirements of the kind of shooting anticipated on agiven occasion or huntf all as will be understood.

The gun havin gareservoir for compressed air consistently has oneforbullets. Z is the particular bullet that is in position to beimmediately shot out ot the gun, bullet Z then taking its place, beingpushed forward bythe dummy i bullet 7'", of the same size and form,butmade of a harder metal. To the dummy or follower Zl is jointed alittle piston, Z"', to be packed or Wound around (as are the bulletsalso around their cylindrical portion) with a iillet ot buck or otherskin or string sufficiently soft to absorb and retain grease forlubrication and to prevent air escaping past, yet

permitting Z" to be easily moved onward by the pressure of the airbehind it in the bulletmagazine tube (l, into Which the compressed airenters from the hollow stoel: near its farther end through the smallholes d.

The piston Z" isconnected by a fine wire cord, to be practicallyinelastic, rudely represented by the broken double lines, to theairtight screw-plug d in the heel of the stock, the length of such Wirecord being adjusted to permit, when fully extended, the dummy Zl to takethe place now occupied, as shown on the drawing, by bullet Z.

lVhen it is desired to replenish the bulletmagazine tube G, in Whole orpart, d is unscrewed, and with it Z" and Z are drawn out, and after theinsertion of the bullets all are replaced.

Though the tube C may be readily cleaned, yet to prevent it more surelyfrom becoming corroded an d rough, particularly on the inside, it Wouldbe better, perhaps, if tinned or nickelplated.

The stock may be cast of bronze or hard brass, and plated also, and theportion back 'of that containing the Works may be cast open or beskeletom77 as often termed, the sides ultimately being closed by platesof moderately-stout sheet-brass N, setting in a little belenT the levelof the skeleton portion of the stock, then soldered in air-tight allaround the edges, and braced by transverse screws taking into bosses n',and finally there being cemented overall a plate of polished veneer, thesaine size and outline as N, leaving the stoel; flush and smoothoutside.

-Vilhen the gun is fully charged and everything in place ready foraction, the bulletmagazine tube Will con tain fifteen bullets, such asshown, the entire number of which may be discharged in as many seconds,if desired, Without taking the gun from the shoulder, it being onlynecessary to pull back to its stop and reslaclren to its place thetrigger E for each shot.

Starting with ninety pounds per square inch, or six atmospheres plus thenatural, ot' air-pressure in the stocl biitt reservoir, and

assuming that the lever-valve G, more fully referred to hereinafter,which opens to admit the compressed air behind the bullet to beprojected, closes again at about the instant the bullet shall have leftthe barrel, then the first six bullets of the fifteen would bedischarged under an absolute pushing force on the bullet itself of overone hundred and twenty times vits own weight, which is one ounceavoirdupois, and the remaining nine bullets of the fifteen with anaverage pushing or projecting force on each of over seventy-two timesits own weight, the whole fifteen under an average absolute projectingforce on the bullet itself of ninety-six times its own weight, and thelast of the fifteen with a force on it of nearly iifty-six times its ownweight; but even if the lever-valve G did not close at the preciseinstant the bullet left the barrel, the extra expenditure of air wouldbe effectually met by having the fore part of the stock, or that portionspanuin g the barrel, also made of metal, hollow, and to communicate (asa sup Vplementary reservoir, so to express it) with the main stock,thereby very greatly increasing, as it positively would, the capacity ofthe air-reservoir as a whole.

I would here particularly allude to the fact that a bullet thusprojected by compressed air must leave the muzzle at a much lessvelocity than it would if projected by gunpowder, and so proportionatelyat that instant by the escape past it of the air in a divergent annularjet. As it would be not absolutely uniform or equal entirely around theterminus ofthe borel and the butt of the bullet, the latter is almostcertain to be canted7 or deflected out of the line of the axis of thebore, and consequently to take a line of flight increasingly divergentfrom that leading to the object aimed at.

Now, I obviate this detrimental result by having near the muzzle (seeFig. 4, Sheet l) small vent-holes c through the barrel from the bottomlof the 4riflings or creases, by which most of the air can escapeinstantaneously while the bullet is yet held true inthe bore.

Inserted in the top of the rearward-projecting shank or shoulder oftrigger E is a small curved shaft or piece, c', which has at its topinside of the stock a broad head with a packingdisk under it. Its headhas projecting up from it a pair of jaws or lugs, between which is hungor swiveled on a pin, so it may turn a certain distance, a peculiarpiece, c, whose upper portion is bifurcated, for reasons presentlyevident, and which I will term the tumbler.77

The head, just mentioned, of e', with its jaws embracing e, is shown inplan view by Fig. 6, as also is the flat steel spring f, which, afterthe trigger has been pulled to discharge a bullet, serves to force backto the position shown on the drawing both the tumbler c and the triggerE, ready for reoperation. The upper portion, or bifurcations of e,between which projects the free end of spring f, bear under kthecorrespOndinglybifurcated end of the lever G, a plan view of which isshown by Fig. 7. G moves on afulcrum between two Aliat standardsabout'midwayvof its'length,-as shown on Fig. .1, Sheet `1.

I may here mention that by sufficiently retracting the screws y and y',and their couliterparts in the under side of the stock, the entireworks, together with the ball-magazine tube C, may be withdrawn from thestock for any desired purpose.

I should also mention that to render the junction of the front of thebullet-channel and 'is lifted (and its opposite end depressed) until theupper projections or bifurcations .of e sweep forward and past thecorresponding bifurcations of G andoome opposite thewider space betweenthem, (see Fig. 7 ,)when c, no longer supporting G, is forced' back 5toits original position by the spring f bearing under its opposite end,and the spring f -bearing, as before mentioned,on the tumbler e and,through e', on the trigger E,'causes the latter, as it is slackened, to`move baclr'to its original position shown, andsimultaneously causes eto rock or turn back to its original position shown, and so onrepeatedly.

Projecting up from the forward end of lever G is a flat stud or proug,j,against which the foremost bullet, Z,-is held when all parts vare atrest; but when lever G is operated, as explained, to shoot, j,being aparty of it, is retracted clear of the way of Z, while simultaneouslythe stud X, fixed in the curved end of the little fiat rod or bar X',(see Fig. 5,) and the other end of which loops over or spans a smoothscrew-stud projecting from the side of lever G, (see X Fig. 7 is drawndown in the way of bullet Z', arresting its movement fand that of allbehind it. v f

Xis snugly surrounded by a short cylinder of vulcanized india-rubber,X'", (see Fig. 5,) one end of which bears tightly `under the end of X',and the other end bears the same in a iittin g recess in the upper sideof the bulleth delivery channel, as seen, its purpose being to preventthe compressed air from passing around X into the space between thebullets Z and Z' while the parts are at rest.

It may be surperliuous to mentionthat the wide ila't portion M of thelever G, which serves as a valve to the ports K, is covered with someproper material to make its junction with the ports, when it is at rest,air-tight.

Fig. 8, Sheet l, is a central section of that end of the air-pump whichscrews into the stock, showing its valves. The outletvalve has its seaton an annular piece secured inside of the barrel of the pump at O. Theinlet-valve 0 has its seat on the end of the piston of the pump, whichis a tube, the air entering to pass through it at its oppositeend by acentral channel, OU, (Fig. 2, Sheet 2,) in a piece fixed in it, ontowhich screws ahandle,

O3, (same igure,) byA which to work the pump. Both valves ofthe pump arepressed to their seats by weak spiral springs, and carry with them disksof leather to bear between them and their seats, to insure tightness.

In the stock side plate N, at I, Fig. l, Sheet l, is a little devicethat I will term the pressure-button, as by pressing upon it thecomparative degree of tension of the compressed air in the stock may befelt. Itis 'shown in section by Fig. 9.

Projecting inward from N is an annular boss, across which is placed adisk of vulcanized india-rubber, q, held down tightly upon it by alittle flat ring, yr. Within the boss and bearing on the rubber disk isa piece, s, which projects slight-ly beyond the outside of the stock.The pressure from'within on the disk q forces s outward. Itis restrainedfrom being pressed out too far by having around it a groove, into whichproject little stop-screws.

Hung at ru in trigger E (see also Iiig. l, Sheet 2, which is intended torepresent au outside view of the stock-butt portion of my gun, and tolie, when not in use, in a fitting groove in E) is an auxiliary trigger,a', which projects beyond it and into and past a suited notch in the endof the solid guard V, where it lits with sufficient tightness to ret-ainits place till released by a little force. lNhile this quasi-concealedtrigger is in its position shown the gun cannot be discharged, as themain trigger E cannot be retracted, as will be clear; but when it isreleased it will project at such an angle from E as to afford good gripefor another finger, thus making the pull for discharge sti llgeasier.

Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a view of a portion of the barrel of the gun and, incentral longitudinal section, of the forward part of the stock B', andofthe forward part of the airpump, both in place, and of the removablehandle O3, before referred to, by which the pump may be worked, showingalso certain devices that pertain to these.

To protect the top of the pump-barrel and the top of its tubular pistonwhen not in use, there is a cap, 04, that screws on the latter; and tokeep the pump audits pistou relatively thus in place there is a splitkey-pin, O5, transfixing them. The cap and pin are secured by a littlerin g-and-chaiu connection to the. barrel of the pump, to prevent themfrom becoming entirely detached and lost. That the cap may be unscrewedreadily, although so connected, it is spanned by a swivel-rin g, inwhich it can turn, and from which its connection with the key-pin ismade. The key-pin being split, as shown, to have a certain expandingtendency and bind in its bearings, will keep its place irrespective ofthe position in which the gun is being carried till forcibly withdrawn.As evident, cap Oi being taken off, the little tubular cylinder 06,which turns in the handle O3, screwed on in its place, and the pin O5bcin g withdrawn, the pump may be worked.

In the shank of the pump-handle at O7 is riveted a thin piece of steel,to serve as a screw-driver, more particularly with the plugs d', d, andd4, Fig. l, Sheet 1. At the other end of the handle is an eye, throughwhich to pass a lanyard by which to sling it to the person.

d* is an air-tight plug, holding a tube, d5, covered at its inner endwith a screw-cap. Its capacity and purpose are to hold readily a coupleof long strong needles, several hundred feet of strong thread, and, say,a dozen friction-matches, the probable great utility of all of which tothe hunter or trapper in the wilds will be evident.

To meet an occasion when it might be desirable to shoot with extraforce, or when time was too pressing or the position too unfavou able,or all together, for the adequate use of the air-pump to sufficientlycharge the stockrcservoir, I have devised means for quickly charging itto a high tension with gas.

Fastened over the inner end of plug d is a tube of, say, tinned copper,d, perforated about halfway around with many small holes, and covered atits inner end by a screwcap, d". rEhe whole being withdrawn from thestock, and d" removed, the tube is to be filled with mealed gunpowder,best mixed with an ext-ra portion of pulyerized charcoal or some iineashes, to diminish to a suitable degree its rapidity of combustion. Thewhole device is then replaced in the stock.

The combustion of the compound in the tube will generate gas enough totill the stock-butt reservoir to a pressure of about one hundred andeighty pounds per square inch, or twelve atmospheres plus the natural,and then, under the conditions before mentioned in relation to theair-pressures, the pressure of gas 'ou the bullet itself would equalthree hundred and fifty-two times its own weight, average, for the wholefifteen shots.

To prevent,while the gas is being generated, particles that would be ofan injurious nature from beingcarried with it to contact with the works,I have designed to interpose and lit across the inside of the stock atWV a double perforated diaphragm, properly iixed in place, and filled inbetween its plates with cotton, or preferably with raw wool, which maybe passed in by removal of the airtight screw-plug y", all as will beunderstood. I term this device the gas-ilter.

As means for igniting the gas-generating compound there is sunk in thecenter of d a cavity, into the bottom of which is screwed an ordinarynipple communicating with the compound for the reception of an ordinarypercussion-cap, which, having been placed upon it, may be there held;and further protected from weather, tc., by a little soft resin or wax',which may be easily removed when it is de sired to renew or explode thecap, which last may be readily done by driving upon it almost any bit ofmetal rod of a size to reach it freely and protrude a little beyond thestock.

Although I have described herein 'such a device, I quite disclaim, iu amagazine-gun, a

double detent located in the passage leading from the magazine to thebarrel, in combination with the trigger and a spring, to regulate theloW of cartridges or bullets from the magazine, and to release them, oneat a time, by the movement of the trigger in the. act of shooting thegun; but

What I claim in my gun is as follows:

1. ln combination with the stock-butt reservoir, the channelwpiecethrough which the bullets are delivered into the barrel, the bnlYlet-magazine tube C, the bullet-follower Z", and piston Z, connectedwith the screw-plug d', and the lever-valve G, carrying thebulletstopping prong or projection j, and actuating the piece X, allsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination, the trigger E, piece e',

l4 naam tumbler c", spring f, and the lever-valve G,

all substantiall5T as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination With the trigger E and its guard, the auxiliarytrigger U', substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The pressure button consisting of thc movable piece s, the rubberdisk q, and the ring r, clamping the latter tightly inplace, all incombination, substantially as and for vthe purpose set forth. Y

5. In combination With the stock-butt res` ervoir, the screwplug d,carrying the perforated and capped tube d, all substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

WM. MONTSTORM.

Witnesses:

JOHN DOYLEY HUTcHINs, A. MoN'rs'roRM.

